Meet the Graduate Admission Staff

Heather O'Leary, Director of Graduate Admission

Heather started at Suffolk in October 2017 as the Director of Graduate Admission. Prior to coming to Suffolk, Heather has worked in admission and higher education consulting for over 17 years with Northeastern University, Eduventures, and the University of California - Davis. She holds a BS in Psychology from Roger Williams University and an MBA from UC Davis. Heather is responsible for oversight, recruitment, admission and enrollment management for the Office of Graduate Admission at Suffolk University, working with graduate programs from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and Sawyer Business School (SBS). . CONTACT

Ellen Driscoll, Associate Director - International Admission

Ellen has worked in Suffolk University’s Office of Graduate Admission since 1998, supporting recruitment, selection, and enrollment in the College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer Business School graduate programs. With over 25 years of experience in undergraduate, graduate and professional school admission, Ellen spends most of her fall “on the road,” both in the US and internationally and has visited over half of the US and 30 countries in North, Central and South America; Europe and Asia. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in English at Fairfield University and her MBA at Northeastern University. CONTACT

Mara Marzocchi, Associate Director - Operations

Mara came to Suffolk in 2005 as the latest step in a varied career. Originally from Pennsylvania, Mara completed her Bachelor of Science in Archaeology at Boston University, MBA from University of Phoenix, and graduated from the Master of Science in International Economics program from Suffolk University. She primarily works with applicants for Accounting, Mental Health Counseling, Crime and Justice Studies, and Clinical Psychology, but much of her time is spent managing the operations of the Office of Graduate Admission. CONTACT

Ariana Balayan, Associate Director - Recruitment

Ariana came to the Office of Graduate Admission in February 2016 with over seven years of graduate admissions experience at private institutions. She has worked with traditional and non-traditional students in a variety of master’s and doctoral degree programs. Ariana earned her Doctorate of Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, is published in the Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly and The Journal of College Student Retention, Research, Theory & Practice, and has presented at national and regional conferences. She also has a Master of Education from Lesley University and Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College (MA). Her responsibilities in the Office include assisting prospective students, strategic recruitment plan development, travel coordination, and managing the Alumni Admission Network. CONTACT

Ariana Greco, Graduate Admission Counselor/Communcations

Ariana began working in the Office of Graduate Admission in June 2017 after finishing her Ed.M. in Higher Education Administration at Boston University. A native of Rhode Island, Ariana obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Management at Providence College. Ariana will be working with the Higher Education and Communications programs from the College of Arts and Sciences and the MS in Accounting and MS in Taxation programs from the Sawyer Business School. Among her programmatic and recruitment duties, she also handles all social media and communications for graduate admissions. CONTACT

Erica Lewis-Bowen, Systems Coordinator

Erica has worked for Suffolk University in the Office of Graduate Admission for the past 16 years. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Paralegal Studies, and her Masters of Arts in Crime and Justice Studies at Suffolk University. She is currently pursuing a JD at the Mass School of Law. As Systems Coordinator, Erica works with departmental operations and also oversees the graduate fellows and student employees in the office. CONTACT

Jessica Soto, Admission Assistant

Jessica has been working for the Office of Graduate Admission since October 2009. As an Admission Assistant, she works closely with prospective and enrolled students as they navigate the application process. She assists applicants in understanding their degree options and admission requirements while also completing administrative and operational duties within the office. CONTACT

Leah Vargas, Admission Assistant

After completing her Associate in Arts in Communication, Leah began her time at Suffolk in mid-2017. She has previously worked in the admissions offices at Mass Bay Community College and Wheelock College, and particularly enjoys the challenge of working with the ‘non-traditional’ student. Leah’s role as an Admission Assistant in the Office of Graduate Admission consists of helping prospective students with any questions they have about the application process, required materials, or their program of interest, and, from an operational standpoint, ensuring those applications and materials have been received and processed as necessary. She is currently pursuing her B.A. in Global & Cultural Communication at Suffolk. CONTACT